Cambridge International AS and A Level Geography: Population Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering population change, demographic transition, economic development, and population-resource relationships based on the Geography Revision Guide.

Natural change

The balance between births and deaths in a population.

Net migration

The difference between immigration and emigration.

Crude birth rate

The number of live births per $1000$ population in a given year.

Natural increase

A positive natural change where the number of births exceeds the number of deaths.

Natural decrease

A negative natural change where the number of deaths exceeds the number of births.

Crude death rate

The number of deaths per $1000$ population in a given year.

Infant mortality rate

The number of deaths of infants under $1$ year of age per $1000$ live births in a given year.

Life expectancy (at birth)

The average number of years a person may expect to live when born, assuming past trends continue.

Fertility rate

The number of live births per $1000$ women aged $15–49$ years in a given year.

Total fertility rate

The average number of children that would be born alive to a woman (or group of women) during her lifetime, if she were to pass through her child-bearing years conforming to the age–specific fertility rates of a given year.

Replacement-level fertility

The level at which those in each generation have just enough children to replace themselves in the population, usually considered as a total fertility rate of $2.1$ children.

Population structure

The composition of a population, the most important elements of which are age and sex.

Population pyramid

A bar chart, arranged vertically, that shows the distribution of a population by age and sex.

Dependency ratio

The ratio of the number of people under $15$ and over $64$ years to those aged $15–64$, calculated as: $\frac{\text{number aged 0–14 + number aged over 64}}{\text{number aged 15–64}} \times 100$

Elderly dependency ratio

The ratio of the number of people aged $65$ and over to those $15–64$ years of age, calculated as: $\frac{\text{number aged over 64}}{\text{number aged 15–64}} \times 100$

Youth dependency ratio

The ratio of the number of people aged $0–14$ to those $15–64$ years of age, calculated as: $\frac{\text{number aged 0–14}}{\text{number aged 15–64}} \times 100$

Demographic transition

The historical shift of birth and death rates from high to low levels in a population.

Ageing population

One undergoing a rise in its median age, occurring when fertility declines while life expectancy remains constant or increases.

Development

The use of resources to improve the quality of life in a country.

Human development index (HDI)

A measure of development that combines three important aspects of human well-being: life expectancy, education and income.

Child mortality rate

The number of children who die before their 5th birthday per $1000$ live births.

Maternal mortality

The death of a woman during or shortly after a pregnancy.

Carrying capacity

The largest population that the resources of a given environment can support.

Biocapacity

The capacity of an area or ecosystem to generate an ongoing supply of resources and to absorb its wastes.

Ecological footprint

A sustainability indicator that expresses the relationship between population and the natural environment by taking into account the use of natural resources.

Global hectare

Equivalent to one hectare of biologically productive space with world average productivity.

Carbon footprint

The total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organisation, event or product.

Green Revolution

The introduction of high-yielding seeds and modern agricultural techniques in developing countries.

Optimum population

One that achieves a given aim in the most satisfactory way.

Economic optimum

The level of population that, through the production of goods and services, provides the highest average standard of living.

Underpopulated

When there are too few people in an area to use the resources available efficiently.

Overpopulated

When there are too many people in an area relative to the resources and the level of technology available.

Population policy

A government’s stated aim on an aspect of its population, and the measures undertaken to achieve that aim.

Pro-natalist policy

A population policy that aims to encourage more births through the use of incentives.

Anti-natalist policy

A population policy designed to limit fertility through the use of both incentives and deterrents.

Family planning programme

Regulates the number and spacing of children in a family through the practice of contraception or other methods of birth control.

Civil liberties

The rights and freedoms that protect an individual from the state by setting limits on government power.

Selective abortion

An abortion performed because of the gender of the fetus or when a genetic test detects an undesirable trait.